When you build something, particularly a deck where everything is exposed, you want a good builder. We got the best, Jack Murphy, all around carpenter, builder and nice guy. He prefers to work alone and built the entire deck by himself. He did a great job.

The deck has my preferred kind of construction and detailing: chunky wood, big bolts, overlapping beams, few of the ubiquitous sheet metal connectors. I used galvanized wire mesh for the handrails. It has a nice open look and provides plenty of opportunities to hang plants. I came up with the design of the awnings without talking to an awning manufacturer. In some ways this was good, because they don’t recommend loose awnings that can move in the wind. We love the double curve shape, and repeated it on our garden shades (see previous posts). They do move around a little on very windy days.

The first floor feels like a woodsy study, a study with 100’s of plants. The posts, beams and braces create a very warm and intimate, sheltered space.

Photos from the top:

First view of the deck when you walk down our driveway. The  front side was kept flat because it was close to our sycamore trees. The deck cantilevers out on the other 2 sides for a larger second floor.

View from our back door.

View of the first floor room from the back of the deck.

The sun shines through the deck at certain times of the day, creating patterns on the plants.

Various photographs of the different details: stair, corner, footing, beams and braces in center of deck